Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

arXiv:1803.11218 · Physical Review Letters

Emergent SO(5) Symmetry at the Columnar Ordering Transition in the Classical Cubic Dimer Model

G. J. Sreejith, Stephen Powell, Adam Nahum

Published Feb 27, 2019• 53 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

The classical cubic-lattice dimer model undergoes an unconventional transition between a columnar crystal and a dimer liquid, in the same universality class as the deconfined quantum critical point in spin-1/2 antiferromagnets but with very different microscopic physics and microscopic symmetries. Using Monte Carlo simulations, we show that this transition has emergent SO(5) symmetry relating quantities characterizing the two phases. While the low-temperature phase has a conventional order parameter, the defining property of the Coulomb liquid on the high-temperature side is deconfinement of monomers, and so SO(5) relates fundamentally different types of objects. Studying linear system sizes up to L=96, we find that this symmetry applies with an excellent precision, consistently improving with system size over this range. It is remarkable that SO(5) emerges in a system as basic as the cubic dimer model, with only simple discrete degrees of freedom. Our results are important evidence for the generality of the SO(5) symmetry that has been proposed for the noncompact CP^{1} field theory. We describe an interpretation for these results in terms of a consistent hypothesis for the renormalization-group flow structure, allowing for the possibility that SO(5) may ultimately be a near-symmetry rather than exact.

DOI
10.1103/physrevlett.122.080601

Related papers

Emergent SO(5) Symmetry at the Néel to Valence-Bond-Solid Transition

Adam Nahum, Pablo Serna, J. T. Chalker +2 more

We show numerically that the "deconfined" quantum critical point between the Néel antiferromagnet and the columnar valence-bond solid, for a square lattice of spin 1/2, has an emergent SO(5) symmetry. This symmetry allows the Néel vector and the valence-bond solid order parameter to be rotated into each other. It is a remarkable (2+1)-dimensional analogue of the SO(4)=[SU(2)×SU(2)]/Z(2) symmetry that appears in the scaling limit for the spin-1/2 Heisenberg chain. The emergent SO(5) symmetry is strong evidence that the phase transition in the (2+1)-dimensional system is truly continuous, despite the violations of finite-size scaling observed previously in this problem. It also implies surprising relations between correlation functions at the transition. The symmetry enhancement is expected to apply generally to the critical two-component Abelian Higgs model (noncompact CP(1) model). The result indicates that in three dimensions there is an SO(5)-symmetric conformal field theory that has no relevant singlet operators, so is radically different from conventional Wilson-Fisher-type conformal field theories.

arXiv:1508.06668•Physical Review Letters•Dec 23, 2015•190 citations

Critical behavior in the cubic dimer model at nonzero monomer density

G. J. Sreejith, Stephen Powell

We study critical behavior in the classical cubic dimer model (CDM) in the presence of a finite density of monomers. With attractive interactions between parallel dimers, the monomer-free CDM exhibits an unconventional transition from a Coulomb phase to a dimer crystal. Monomers act as charges (or monopoles) in the Coulomb phase and, at nonzero density, lead to a standard Landau-type transition. We use large-scale Monte Carlo simulations to study the system in the neighborhood of the critical point, and find results in agreement with detailed predictions of scaling theory. Going beyond previous studies of the transition in the absence of monomers, we explicitly confirm the distinction between conventional and unconventional criticality, and quantitatively demonstrate the crossover between the two. Our results also provide additional evidence for the theoretical claim that the transition in the CDM belongs in the same universality class as the deconfined quantum critical point in the $\mathrm{SU}(2)$ JQ model.

arXiv:1311.1444•Physical Review B•Jan 6, 2014•23 citations

Short-Time critical dynamics in the classical cubic dimer model

Hu-Xiao Peng, Zheng Yan, Shuai Yin

Abstract The classical dimer model on the cubic lattice hosts a columnar ordered phase and a disordered Coulomb phase, separated by a continuous phase transition that lies beyond the conventional Landau–Ginzburg–Wilson (LGW) paradigm. While its equilibrium critical properties have been extensively studied, the nonequilibrium critical dynamics of this model—particularly in the short-time regime—remains largely unexplored. In this work, we investigate the short-time critical dynamics near the transition using large-scale Monte Carlo simulations. By quenching the system from both ordered and disordered initial states with vanishing initial correlation length, we analyze the scaling behaviors of the order parameter and its time correlation function in the short-time stage. From these scaling behaviors, we accurately determine the critical temperature T c = 0.672(1) and the static critical exponent β / ν = 0.581(5) according to the scaling theory of the short-time dynamics. These results are in excellent agreement with previous equilibrium studies. Moreover, we extract the dynamic critical exponent z = 1.92(1) and, notably, find a negative critical initial slip exponent θ = − 1.052(5). This unusual negative value contrasts sharply with the positive θ typically observed in conventional critical dynamics. We attribute this anomalous behavior to the combined effects of the emergent SO(5) symmetry at criticality and the local U(1) gauge constraint (Gauss law), which enforces a conserved diffusive dynamics and enhances fluctuations in the short-time regime. Our results provide the first comprehensive characterization of nonequilibrium short-time criticality in the three-dimensional dimer model, shedding new light on the universal dynamical features of phase transitions beyond the LGW framework.

arXiv:2605.15730•Communications in Theoretical Physics•Mar 31, 2026•0 citations

Deconfined quantum criticality and emergent SO(5) symmetry in fermionic systems

Zixiang Li, Shao-Kai Jian, Hong Yao

Deconfined quantum criticality with emergent SO(5) symmetry in correlated systems remains elusive. Here, by performing numerically-exact state-of-the-art quantum Monte Carlo (QMC) simulations, we show convincing evidences of deconfined quantum critical points (DQCP) between antiferromagnetic and valence-bond-solid phases in the extended Hubbard model of fermions on the honeycomb lattice with large system sizes. We further demonstrate evidences of the SO(5) symmetry at the DQCP. It is important to note that the critical exponents obtained by finite-size scaling at the DQCP here are consistent with the rigourous conformal bounds. Consequently, we established a promising arena of DQCP with emergent SO(5) symmetry in interacting systems of fermions. Its possible experimental relevances in correlated systems of Dirac fermions will be discussed briefly.

arXiv:1904.10975•Apr 24, 2019•26 citations

Scaling dimensions of higher-charge monopoles at deconfined critical points

G. J. Sreejith, Stephen Powell

The classical cubic dimer model has a columnar ordering transition that is continuous and described by a critical Anderson-Higgs theory containing an $\mathrm{SU}(2)$-symmetric complex field minimally coupled to a noncompact $\mathrm{U}(1)$ gauge theory. Defects in the dimer constraints correspond to monopoles of the gauge theory, with charge determined by the deviation from unity of the dimer occupancy. By introducing such defects into Monte Carlo simulations of the dimer model at its critical point, we determine the scaling dimensions ${y}_{2}=1.48\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.07$ and ${y}_{3}=0.20\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.03$ for the operators corresponding to defects of charge $q=2$ and 3, respectively. These results, which constitute the first direct determination of the scaling dimensions, shed light on the deconfined critical point of spin-$\frac{1}{2}$ quantum antiferromagnets, thought to belong to the same universality class. In particular, the positive value of ${y}_{3}$ implies that the transition in the $JQ$ model on the honeycomb lattice is of first order.

arXiv:1504.02278•Physical Review B•Nov 17, 2015•40 citations

Emergent O( n ) symmetry in a series of three-dimensional Potts models

Chengxiang Ding, Henk W. J. Blöte, Youjin Deng

Scaling, universality, and renormalization are three pillars of modern critical phenomena. According to the hypothesis of universality, continuous phase transitions fall into classes mainly determined by spatial dimensionality and symmetry of the order parameter. The latter is usually reflected by the degeneracy of the ground state of the Hamiltonian. However, for certain systems at criticality, a higher symmetry emerges in the order parameter, and the associated critical behavior may become very rich. Such emergent symmetry has been found in spin ice systems, deconfined quantum critical points, high-${T}_{c}$ superconductors, and so forth, and are often accompanied by very interesting critical phenomena. New results presented here are based on Monte Carlo simulations and finite-size scaling of a series of $q$-state Potts models on the simple cubic lattice with ferromagnetic interactions in one lattice direction and antiferromagnetic interactions in the other two directions. The staggered magnetization appears to display an emergent continuous O($n$) symmetry with $n$=$q$-1, as illustrated by two-dimensional intersections of the distribution functions. Also the estimated critical exponents are consistent with the O($n$=$q$-1) universality classes.

arXiv:1508.04538•Physical review. B./Physical review. B•Sep 1, 2016•13 citations
The classical cubic-lattice dimer model undergoes an unconventional transition between a columnar crystal and a dimer liquid, in the same universality class as the deconfined quantum critical point in spin-1/2 antiferromagnets but with very different microscopic physics and microscopic symmetries. Using Monte Carlo simulations, we show that this transition has emergent SO(5) symmetry relating quantities characterizing the two phases. While the low-temperature phase has a conventional order parameter, the defining property of the Coulomb liquid on the high-temperature side is deconfinement of monomers, and so SO(5) relates fundamentally different types of objects. Studying linear system sizes up to L=96, we find that this symmetry applies with an excellent precision, consistently improving with system size over this range. It is remarkable that SO(5) emerges in a system as basic as the cubic dimer model, with only simple discrete degrees of freedom. Our results are important evidence for the generality of the SO(5) symmetry that has been proposed for the noncompact CP^{1} field theory. We describe an interpretation for these results in terms of a consistent hypothesis for the renormalization-group flow structure, allowing for the possibility that SO(5) may ultimately be a near-symmetry rather than exact.
We show numerically that the "deconfined" quantum critical point between the Néel antiferromagnet and the columnar valence-bond solid, for a square lattice of spin 1/2, has an emergent SO(5) symmetry. This symmetry allows the Néel vector and the valence-bond solid order parameter to be rotated into each other. It is a remarkable (2+1)-dimensional analogue of the SO(4)=[SU(2)×SU(2)]/Z(2) symmetry that appears in the scaling limit for the spin-1/2 Heisenberg chain. The emergent SO(5) symmetry is strong evidence that the phase transition in the (2+1)-dimensional system is truly continuous, despite the violations of finite-size scaling observed previously in this problem. It also implies surprising relations between correlation functions at the transition. The symmetry enhancement is expected to apply generally to the critical two-component Abelian Higgs model (noncompact CP(1) model). The result indicates that in three dimensions there is an SO(5)-symmetric conformal field theory that has no relevant singlet operators, so is radically different from conventional Wilson-Fisher-type conformal field theories.
We study critical behavior in the classical cubic dimer model (CDM) in the presence of a finite density of monomers. With attractive interactions between parallel dimers, the monomer-free CDM exhibits an unconventional transition from a Coulomb phase to a dimer crystal. Monomers act as charges (or monopoles) in the Coulomb phase and, at nonzero density, lead to a standard Landau-type transition. We use large-scale Monte Carlo simulations to study the system in the neighborhood of the critical point, and find results in agreement with detailed predictions of scaling theory. Going beyond previous studies of the transition in the absence of monomers, we explicitly confirm the distinction between conventional and unconventional criticality, and quantitatively demonstrate the crossover between the two. Our results also provide additional evidence for the theoretical claim that the transition in the CDM belongs in the same universality class as the deconfined quantum critical point in the SU(2)\mathrm{SU}(2)SU(2) JQ model.
Abstract The classical dimer model on the cubic lattice hosts a columnar ordered phase and a disordered Coulomb phase, separated by a continuous phase transition that lies beyond the conventional Landau–Ginzburg–Wilson (LGW) paradigm. While its equilibrium critical properties have been extensively studied, the nonequilibrium critical dynamics of this model—particularly in the short-time regime—remains largely unexplored. In this work, we investigate the short-time critical dynamics near the transition using large-scale Monte Carlo simulations. By quenching the system from both ordered and disordered initial states with vanishing initial correlation length, we analyze the scaling behaviors of the order parameter and its time correlation function in the short-time stage. From these scaling behaviors, we accurately determine the critical temperature T c = 0.672(1) and the static critical exponent β / ν = 0.581(5) according to the scaling theory of the short-time dynamics. These results are in excellent agreement with previous equilibrium studies. Moreover, we extract the dynamic critical exponent z = 1.92(1) and, notably, find a negative critical initial slip exponent θ = − 1.052(5). This unusual negative value contrasts sharply with the positive θ typically observed in conventional critical dynamics. We attribute this anomalous behavior to the combined effects of the emergent SO(5) symmetry at criticality and the local U(1) gauge constraint (Gauss law), which enforces a conserved diffusive dynamics and enhances fluctuations in the short-time regime. Our results provide the first comprehensive characterization of nonequilibrium short-time criticality in the three-dimensional dimer model, shedding new light on the universal dynamical features of phase transitions beyond the LGW framework.
Deconfined quantum criticality with emergent SO(5) symmetry in correlated systems remains elusive. Here, by performing numerically-exact state-of-the-art quantum Monte Carlo (QMC) simulations, we show convincing evidences of deconfined quantum critical points (DQCP) between antiferromagnetic and valence-bond-solid phases in the extended Hubbard model of fermions on the honeycomb lattice with large system sizes. We further demonstrate evidences of the SO(5) symmetry at the DQCP. It is important to note that the critical exponents obtained by finite-size scaling at the DQCP here are consistent with the rigourous conformal bounds. Consequently, we established a promising arena of DQCP with emergent SO(5) symmetry in interacting systems of fermions. Its possible experimental relevances in correlated systems of Dirac fermions will be discussed briefly.
The classical cubic dimer model has a columnar ordering transition that is continuous and described by a critical Anderson-Higgs theory containing an SU(2)\mathrm{SU}(2)SU(2)-symmetric complex field minimally coupled to a noncompact U(1)\mathrm{U}(1)U(1) gauge theory. Defects in the dimer constraints correspond to monopoles of the gauge theory, with charge determined by the deviation from unity of the dimer occupancy. By introducing such defects into Monte Carlo simulations of the dimer model at its critical point, we determine the scaling dimensions ${y}_{2}=1.48\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.07$ and ${y}_{3}=0.20\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.03$ for the operators corresponding to defects of charge q=2q=2q=2 and 3, respectively. These results, which constitute the first direct determination of the scaling dimensions, shed light on the deconfined critical point of spin-12\frac{1}{2}21​ quantum antiferromagnets, thought to belong to the same universality class. In particular, the positive value of y3{y}_{3}y3​ implies that the transition in the JQJQJQ model on the honeycomb lattice is of first order.
Scaling, universality, and renormalization are three pillars of modern critical phenomena. According to the hypothesis of universality, continuous phase transitions fall into classes mainly determined by spatial dimensionality and symmetry of the order parameter. The latter is usually reflected by the degeneracy of the ground state of the Hamiltonian. However, for certain systems at criticality, a higher symmetry emerges in the order parameter, and the associated critical behavior may become very rich. Such emergent symmetry has been found in spin ice systems, deconfined quantum critical points, high-Tc{T}_{c}Tc​ superconductors, and so forth, and are often accompanied by very interesting critical phenomena. New results presented here are based on Monte Carlo simulations and finite-size scaling of a series of qqq-state Potts models on the simple cubic lattice with ferromagnetic interactions in one lattice direction and antiferromagnetic interactions in the other two directions. The staggered magnetization appears to display an emergent continuous O(nnn) symmetry with nnn=qqq-1, as illustrated by two-dimensional intersections of the distribution functions. Also the estimated critical exponents are consistent with the O(nnn=qqq-1) universality classes.